The Virginia Cavaliers (14-5) travel to face off against the Louisville Cardinals (6-13) on Saturday, January 27th. This game will be played at KFC Yum! Center in Louisville and televised on CW. Virginia is coming off a win in their previous game, while Louisville is looking to get back on track from a loss to the Duke. Tip-off is set for 12:00 ET.
Virginia Cavaliers vs Louisville Cardinals
The Virginia Cavaliers Are Coming Off A Win
Virginia is 14-5 overall and 4-3 in the ACC. They have won two straight games and have a 10-2 non-conference record compared to 4-3 in the ACC. So far, the Cavaliers have been much better at home, going 12-0 with an average scoring margin of +18.8 points per game.
On the road, Virginia is just 1-5 this season, and they have lost four of their last five away from home. In their last 10 games on the road, the Cavaliers are just 2-8, and their average scoring margin on the road is -15.8 points per game.
Virginia’s ATS record this season is 10-8, including a mark of 1-5 vs. the spread on the road. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Cavaliers are 7-2-1.
Virginia’s over/under record for the season sits at 8-10, and the average scoring total in their games is 123.7. Today’s over/under line of 129.5 is higher than the average OU line in their games (127), and on the year, 13 of their games have finished with less points than today’s OU line. Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 124, and their OU record over their last 10 games is 4-6.
The Louisville Cardinals Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
After losing their last four games, Louisville will look to get back on track as they host Virginia. The Cardinals are 6-13 overall and 1-7 in ACC play this season. At home, they have gone 5-8, including a four-game losing streak.
So far, Louisville has been an underdog in 12 of their 19 games, going just 1-11 in those contests. As the underdog, they have gone 1-4 at home this season. Most recently, the Cardinals lost to Duke, 83-69.
As the underdog this season, Louisville has gone 6-5-1 against the spread. At home, their ATS mark is 5-6-2. Over their last 10 games as the underdog, the Cardinals have an even 5-5 record vs. the spread.
Today’s over/under line of 129.5 is much lower than the average over/under line in Louisville’s games this season (147.1). Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 154 points, which is higher than today’s over/under line.
Virginia Offense Breakdown
Coming off their recent game, the Virginia offense tallied 75 points in a matchup against Georgia Tech. Their field goal percentage for the game was 50%, and they made 11 threes. Isaac McKneely led the team in scoring, putting up 20 points. Additionally, Reece Beekman contributed 19 points for the Cavaliers.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reece Beekman (G) | 13.1 | 3.3 | 6.1 |
| Isaac McKneely (G) | 11.8 | 3.1 | 1.6 |
| Ryan Dunn (G) | 9.7 | 7.1 | 0.9 |
Louisville Offense Breakdown
In their recent matchup, the Louisville offense ended with 69 points against Duke. They finished with an overall field goal percentage of 46.2% and made 5 threes. Offensively, the Cardinals have a season long field goal percentage of 43%, which is 273rd in the nation. In terms of three-pointers, they are 293rd in percentage and 320th in three-pointers made.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mike James (G) | 14.0 | 5.5 | 1.3 |
| Skyy Clark (G) | 13.6 | 3.2 | 3.1 |
| Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (F) | 11.1 | 8.5 | 1.0 |
Virginia Team Defense
In the current season, the Virginia defense has excelled, sitting 3rd in the nation by allowing 57.9 points per game. The Virginia defense is coming off a game in which they gave up a total of 66 points and allowed Georgia Tech to connect on 9 threes.
Louisville Team Defense
At present, the Cardinals’ defense is nationally ranked 279th, allowing 78.1 points per game. In today’s game, the Louisville defense will be looking to once again do a good job defending the three-point line, as they gave up just 5 three-pointers while giving up 83 points.
Cavaliers vs Cardinals Trends
- Although Virginia has a straight up record of 1-4 in their last five road games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 1-4. The team averaged 58 points per game in these games.
- In their last five games at home, the Cardinals have a straight up record of 1-4 while going 2-3 vs. the spread. The team averaged 67 points per game in this stretch.
- As the betting underdog, the Cardinals have an ATS mark of just 5-5 in their last ten games. Louisville posted a straight up mark of 1-9 in these matchups.
- Going back to their last ten games as the favorite, the Cavaliers have a straight up record of 9-1. But, their mark vs the spread was just 7-2-1.
Cavaliers vs Cardinals Prediction
As the underdogs with a spread of +7.5, we recommend going with the Cardinals on the point spread. We not only see them covering the spread but also have a strong likelihood of winning this one outright, especially if you’re seeking a higher payout on the moneyline.
Regarding the over/under, the current line is set at 129.5, and our model predicts the Cavaliers and Cardinals to score a combined 142 points. We recommend betting on the over.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:January 27, 2024 Louisville Cardinals, Virginia Cavaliers